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Eurobasket 2007

dark_horse

Will Greece repeat as European Champions?  

22 members have voted

  1. 1. Will Greece repeat as European Champions?

    • Yes
      11
    • No
      9

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DUDE Grand Master

DUDE

Posted
Posted

Guys I didn't see the game but followed it via FIBA's commentary. I didn't seem like we played well. I know it's not the same thing following it by the commentary so can you give me a summary on how we actually played?

I mean let's face it, we just scrapped by a team that just lost to Israel! Did it look like we were back on track to challenge for the title, or do we still need a giant improvement?

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plato-ny Mentor

plato-ny

Posted
Posted

Bravo, Greece. Nice win against Croatia 81-78 after being down by 14 in the 3rd quarter. Greece played well after 3 matches and Spannoulis wins it at the buzzer. Offense vastly improved. Greece will probably be in 3rd place most likely and play either Lithuania or Slovenia

Last 2 minutes of match

http://www.goal4replay.net/VideoWatchF.asp...sp?ID=605&Ln=En

Spannoulis Buzzer Beater

http://www.goal4replay.net/VideoWatchF.asp...sp?ID=606&Ln=En

Spannoulis Comments

http://www.goal4replay.net/VideoWatchF.asp...sp?ID=607&Ln=En

Qualifying Round

GROUP E (Madrid, ESP)

1. Spain 3/1 57

2. Russia 3/1 7

3. Greece 2/2 6

4. Croatia 2/2 6

5. Israel 1/3 5

6. Portugal 1/3 5

Croatia 11.09.2007 16:30 Russia

Greece 11.09.2007 19:00 Portugal

Spain 11.09.2007 21:30 Israel

Posted Image

Vasileios Spanoulis sank a buzzer-beating three-pointer to beat Croatia 81-78, earning Greece their first win of the qualifying round to hugely improve their chances of advancing to the quarter-finals of EuroBasket 2007.

The defending champions entered this game having lost their last two against Russia and hosts Spain and in desperate need of a win to stand a chance of making it through to the last eight.

Croatia’s Marko Popovic sank a pair of free-throws to tie the game at 78-78 with seven seconds left in the game but Spanoulis knew he had won the game once the ball left his hands.

"It was in, I was sure that that was it - it was a good shot,” he said of his game-winner afterwards. “It was a very nice game, this is a big win for us.

“We shot well in the second half and we moved the ball well, which is what we needed in order to get back in the game. We did the right things to clinch the win in the end."

As for Popovich, he was only too aware that his team – who led by as many as 13 points at one point in the third quarter - had let a great opportunity slip away.

“We should have won this game. It was in our hands, but we didn't take it all the way,” he admitted.

“We didn't lose it in that last shot by Spanoulis. We lost it when we were up by 13 points and allowed Greece to come back. We played well, and we must keep this against Russia as well and hope to be in the quarter-finals.”

Croatia’s 50-37 lead with just under six minutes left in the third period turned into a four-point deficit, 61-57, early in the final frame as Greece used a 24-7 spurt to regain a lead they lost early in the second quarter.

“You're always upset when you lose a game like this. But I'm also very satisfied that we were able to play with Greece. In the end of the third quarter, we lost our concentration and allowed them back into the game. It's important to stay cool, quiet and concentrated,” said Croatia coach Jasmin Repeta.

Panagiotis Giannakis’s men started the game very well by pounding the ball down low and taking advantage of Croatia’s man-to-man defense.

Dimosthenis Ntikoudis scored his team’s first seven points for a 7-2 advantage.

Lazaros Papadopoulos then took over, scoring the next 10 points to help his team jump to a 17-10 lead with 3:36 left in the quarter.

Croatia though fought back and trailed only by one, 20-19 after Stanko Barac’s shot with 22 seconds left in the first period.

Things turned around completely in the second quarter as Repesa got his players to go zone and the strategy worked perfectly as Greece only got two baskets in the paint during the entire period – after taking only one shot outside the key in the game’s first 10 minutes.

Dimitrios Diamantidis made a pair of free-throws to put Greece up by five, 29-24, with under five minutes left in the first half, but Croatia responded with a 16-4 run to take a 40-33 lead at the break on Damir Markota’s buzzer-beating lay up.

Zoran Planinic made back-to-back three-pointers to give Croatia its first double-digit lead of the game, 48-37, before Davor Kus fed Marko Tomas for an easy lay up.

But Papaloudos and Theodoros Papaloukas got their team within seven, 54-47 and, when Damir Markota turned the ball over and committed an unsportsmanlike foul on Dimitrios

Diamantidis, it proved to be a crucial turning point in the game.

Diamantidis made both free-throws as Greece scored the last 11 points of the period to take a 58-54 lead.

Popovic hit a three-pointer to make it a one-point game, 58-57, at the start the final quarter and the teams proceeded to trade the lead for a while.

Papaloukas connected from long range with 4:47 left to put Greece up 69-66 but their opponents didn’t relent as the game went down to the wire.

The defending champions may have thought they had it won when Diamantidis hit a long bomb of his own to take a five-point lead, 76-71, with 1:24 left.

However, Roko-Leni Ukic made a lay up and Popovic hit from dowtown with 13 seconds left in the game to trail by one, 77-76.

Diamantidis then made only one of two free-throws, leaving the door open for Croatia.

Greece decided to foul and sent Popovic to the line where he hit both to tie the game at 78-78.

Diamantidis finished with 23 points and Papadopoulos added 22 while Spanoulis chipped in with 14 - none more important than the last three.

Kasun led five players in double-figures for Croatia with 15 points

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dark_horse Grand Master

dark_horse

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This was indeed the best game Greece has played, I give big props to Diamantidis, Papadoupoulos, and Spanoulis for having a moster game. Greece must continue to play with passion, fire, and disciplane. Next stop PORTUGAL, this shouldn't be a problem for Greece. GREECE BY 12

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Crazy Grand Master

Crazy

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Posted

I believe that the next game is tricky.Our boys got to get early in a "killing"mentality and finish Portugal off otherwise we might end like Israel.This game could be the change we need to get going back in track of winning this damn Euro. :gr: :gr: :gr: :gr: :gr:

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fcportoultra Community Regular

fcportoultra

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Posted

Next stop PORTUGAL, this shouldn't be a problem for Greece. GREECE BY 12

That would be nice. I guess the difference will be 20 to 25 points but we dont really care. We won two games!!!!!! Two fckng games!!!!! They deserve a reception these boys. I cant remember a single time we played in a competition like this. All the others are bigger, heavier and more experienced. Basketball is a very small thing here and playing against Spain , Russia and Greece will only benefit the sport in a nation obssessed with football. I guess we have 2 good players, Joao Santos and Elvis Evora, the others are not very good but they fight a lot ( actually there was a game we made 5 fouls in 8 seconds, very funny).
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Crazy Grand Master

Crazy

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Posted

Lets try and avoid the lithuanian, must better off playin slovenia not afraid of them or france easy pcking then i wanna meet spain in the finals there no way they can cream us 3 games in double digits just cant.

It all depends on us.If we come like we have done so far,everybody can beat us,if we come as we should then bring them all. :gr: :gr: :gr: :gr:
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aekmafia21 Veteran

aekmafia21

Posted
Posted

One little note were the heck did slovenia come from there unbeaten so far and cracking germany, why are still undefeated are they really that good.

Is it because italy and turkey have been dissapointing and france arent doing very well, im shocked in slovenia play are they for real or if it comes down to it can we take them.

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plato-ny Mentor

plato-ny

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Lithunia and Slovenia are undefeated and will meet on Wednesday for the first place sport. One of these 2 teams will be Greece's opponent in the quarterfinals

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Akritis_1944 Veteran

Akritis_1944

Posted
Posted

Spain seem to have the wood on us however I hope that we can overcome their Iberian neighbours, Portugal in the next game.

I don't think we are playing that great in this tournament. I know the other teams have lifted their performances, and we can only control our our own game, but we seem to be a bit off this time around.

However I remain optimistic as a Greek we can go far and as a minimum qualify for next years Olympics.

:gr:

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